Carpet-stretcher.



No. 732,446.` PATENTED JUNE 30, 1903.

Y H. RIPLEY.

CARPET STRETCHER.

APPLIOTON FILED JUNE 2l. 1902.

l0 IODEL.

UNITED ASTATES Patenteaaune 36,1903.

HENRY RIPLEY, 0E KEENE, NEW HAMPSHIRE.

CARPET-STRETCH ER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 732,446, dated June 30, 1903-l Appncanon and rm 21, 1902.Y

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY RIPLEY, a citizen of the United States', residing at Keene, in the county of Cheshire and State of New Hampshire, have invented a new and useful Carpet-Stretcher, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates generally to carpetstretchers, and more particularly to one-employing a pawl-and-ratchet lever-operated mechanism for the purpose of drawing a toothed stretching-.bar toward an adjacent side of the room.

The object of theinvention is to provide an exceedingly simple, compact, and durable construction of stretcher which can be quickly and easily set in place and operated to accomplish the operations heretofore mentioned; and with this object in view the invention consists in the novel features of construction and combination and arrangement,

all of which will be fully described hereinafter and pointed out in the claim.

In the drawings forming part of this specification, Figure lis a perspective View illustrating a carpet-stretcher constructed in ae cordance with my invention and in operation. Fig. 2 is a side elevation. Fig. 3 is a transverse section taken on the line w oc of Fig. 2. Fig. 4'is a top plan view. Fig. 5 is a perspective view of theratchet-faced bar connected to the toothedv stretching-bar.

Fig. 6 is a detail perspectiveview :illustrat-l ing the central portion of said toothed stretching-bar. o

In carrying out my invention I employ a wooden bar or strip A of any suitable size, said bar having teeth barbs or prongs A arranged in the under face thereof for the pur-- pose of gripping the carpet to be stretched. This bar A has a central recess or notch A2 produced in the upper face thereof and extending nearly tothe bottom of the same and in which the forward en d of a longitudinal bar or strip VB rests, said longitudinal bar having a barb or prong B secured to the lower side of its rear end, which is adapted to be forced into the Hoor adjacent to the chair-board for the purpose of securely anchoring the stretcher. A metallic bar or plate C, essentially T-shaped in form, is secured to the upper side of the transverse bar Serial No. 112,721. (No model.)

A, said bar or plate C resting andsliding upon the longitudinal bar B and having a series of Yratchet-faced recesses or notches C produced therein. A bifurcated lever D is pivotally connected to the bar B about midway its length, said bifurcated Ylever straddling the ratchet-faced bar C and carrying a pawl D', which is adapted to engage the ratchet-face()l of the said bar. The rear end of the ratchet-faced bar C is provided with lateral guides C2,which are adapted to tit into the grooves B2, produced in the sides of the bar B, and upon one side of the said bar B and directly below the groovesV B2 is the ratchet-faced projection B3, which is adapted to be engaged by the locking-pawl C3, pivotally connected to the barC adjacent to its 'rear.end.

In operation the parts are arranged as shown in Figs. l and 2, and the barb or prong B is then forced into the viioor adjacent to the chair -board. The teeth-prongs A are forced into the carpet to be stretched and the hand-lever is pushed down toward the bar B. This action causes the ratchet-faced bar C to be moved rearwardly upon the bar .B, carrying with it the toothedbar A, and the pawl C3 will be carried rearwardly and will drop intoengagement with the next adjacent ratchet B2. The lever is then again raised, so `as to engage another one of the ratchet-faced recesses C' of the bar C, and is then forcedvdown again, moving the toothed bar rearwardly, and these operations are continued until the carpet has been stretched to the'desired extent, and it will benoted that at each rearward movement the locking pawls 'C3 securely lock the parts against any return movement, thereby holding the carpet stretched after each operation of the handlever D. l

It is obvious that the various parts may be constructed of any desirable material and may be of any size and shape desired so long as the relative arrangementof the parts is maintained, and it will also be understood that certain changes 'or alterations, may be made without departing from the broadprincple of my invention.

Having thus fully described my Invention,

IOO

In a carpet-stretcher the combination with a longitudinal bar having an anchoring point or barb and provided with a ratchet-face on ratchet-face of the T-shaped bar, and the locking-pawl carried at the rear end of the T-shaped bar and adapted to engage the one side of the transverse carpet-gripping ratchet-face upon the longitudinal bar for 5 br, the T-sbaped plate or bar connected to I the purpose specified.

t e carpet-gripping bar, and sliding upon the longitudinal bar, said T-shaped bar hav- HENRY RH LEY' ing a ratchet-face, a bifuroated hand-lever Witnesses: pivoted to the longitudinal bar, a pawl car- LEONARD WELLINGTON, lo ried by tbe said lever adapted to engage the I C. E. SYMONDs. 

